Style of Acting - Shakespeare

Shakespeare

·         In 1576 James Burbage (father or the actor Richard Burbage) bought a lease and permission to build “The Theatre” in Shoreditch London.

·         The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (A theatre company led by Richard Burbage, performing Shakespeare’s plays) were the company in residence from 1594 1596.

Theatre Shakespeare Style

·         Writers began by presenting their ideas for a plot. The actors and managers then decided whether they liked it or not, and offer a down payment for its completion.

·         Writers created their characters with certain actors in mind. For example knowing that Richard Burbage was the Chamberlin’s leading man, and that he had a good memory for long scripts, Shakespeare created the parts for Richard III and Hamlet for him. And as the actor grew older, Shakespeare made his characters more mature.

·         This meant that he would not see who else was going to be on the stage until they actually rehearsed the scene.

·         Rehearsals were used to sort out the details not specified in the script. Entrances, costumes, and songs were filled in by actors.

1593 London Theatres close due to outbreaks of the bubonic plagues in England

Moving across the river

·         From 1596 to 1597 the city of London authorities ban the public performances of plays within the city limits of London.

·         1597 Dispute over the lease of “the theatre”. The puritan owner, Giles Allen. Disapproved of the theatre and the acting troupe. Burbage opens negotiations to re – new the lease of “the theatre”

·         1597 Shakespeare Company of actors moved to the Curtain Theatre after failed negotiations for a new lease for the theatre.

·         1598 Timber from the “theatre” taken to use for the building of a new venue you be called the globe

·         1599 The globe theatre is opened on bankside, London.

1603 The bubonic Plague returns and killed 33,000 people. In 1608 Theatres closed

·         In 1613 June29th, Fire at the globe during a performance of henry VIII

·         1614 Is rebuilt

After Queen Elizabeth

·         After Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1603, King James took the throne. This is known as  the Jacobean period and ran until 1625.

·         Jacobean theatre was dark and disturbing – Grotesquely violent and often shockingly obscene.

·         Sexuality was very prevalent in Jacobean performances, along with a heightened sense of violence and General immoralities

·         As the economy declined, so did the delicacy of theatre performances moved from outdoor to indoor, because of the changeable weather.

Jacobean Dramas

There are two types of Jacobean Theatre : Revenge Plays, Tragicomedies

Revenge Plays

·         Revenger plays were very obscene and violent

Theatre in decline

·         1642 The English civil war broke out between the parliamentarians and the Royalists

·         Parliament then pulled down the globe theatre and was replaced with council houses

·         All actors were to be arrested and anyone who went to see the plays was fined

·         King Charles I was executed by Parliamentarians

·         Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England